Liquid application nozzles are commonly used in the application of water and chemicals in a wide variety of industries including but not limited to farming, agriculture, food processing, and industrial plants. Typically, a liquid application nozzle has a specially shaped internal orifice that causes the liquid forced through the nozzle to discharge in a pattern that distributes the liquid over a desired area. These are commonly referred to as spray nozzles, spray tips, sprayer nozzles, sprayer tips, or irrigation nozzles when referring to agricultural applications. During use, it is not uncommon for debris or foreign material to get lodged in the nozzle's orifice as the liquid is passing through the nozzle. Such debris can be introduced into the system's internal plumbing from corrosion, buildup, or poor quality liquid ingredients. Once debris partially or fully plugs a nozzle's orifice, the flow rate and distribution pattern are affected, and reduce the performance of the liquid application system.
Conventional practice involves removal of the nozzle from the supply piping and subsequently debris is removed from the nozzle by a one or more of the following methods. A brush is dragged across the nozzle to loosen the debris. Alternatively, the nozzle is tapped against a hard surface such that sudden impact with the hard surface causes the debris to break loose from the orifice. Alternatively, the nozzle is held up near one's mouth and an attempt is made to blow air through one's lips fast enough to dislodge the debris and clear the nozzle. The methods listed above are only moderately effective and can be difficult to accomplish with small nozzles, or when one is wearing rubber gloves for safety.
Given some of the above-mentioned problems associated with cleaning of liquid application nozzles, a more effective method of cleaning the nozzles involves using a blast of compressed gas passed backwards through the nozzle's orifice to dislodge the debris and eject it from the nozzle. For example, the compressed gas can be supplied from a hose attached to an air compressor, or produced from a small refillable or replaceable tank containing an aerosol or CO2-type propellant.
As is often the case with agricultural applications they are in farm fields where an air compressor and hose are not portable enough and therefore not a convenient option thus leaving the small cans of propellant as the best solution for this type of field application. When new the cans of propellant are convenient and effective but eventually the propellant becomes depleted and must be recharged or replaced. This becomes very inconvenient when in an agricultural field or under time constraints and trying to solve plugged nozzle problems quickly.
It would therefore be desirable to have a handheld portable apparatus which produces a blast of compressed gas for clearing debris from nozzles that does not require refilling or replacement of tanks or cans. It would also be desirable if the compressed gas was air and therefore would never require any maintenance to the gas supply.
Embodiments of the invention provide such an apparatus. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.